About the Designer
Creativity has flowed through my veins for as long as I can remember. My journey began at just four years old when I first learned to sew, discovering early on how separate pieces could be thoughtfully brought together to create something meaningful. This lifelong passion led me to the University of Alabama, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Apparel Design. It was there that I formalized my eye for structure, texture, and aesthetic balance, falling in love with technical design and the complex problem-solving required to bring a purposeful, final piece to life.
After gaining invaluable small-business insight interning for Abbi Ferrin in Dallas, I stepped into corporate design with the Fossil Group, working on the Fossil men's apparel line. Craving a new challenge, I transitioned into handbags and leather goods for Skagen Denmark. There, I mastered the art of translating flat, 2D concepts into complex, manufacturable technical drawings—navigating the hidden layers of internal structural support and finishings. During this season, I also fell in love with visual storytelling, experimenting with custom prints and eventually launching a small business creating custom stationery for life's sweetest milestones.
Driven to pursue intimate creative opportunities while raising my three boys, I spent the last eight years mastering how to communicate through design for a nonprofit with global reach. I understand that mission-driven design must uniquely speak to donors, volunteers, advocates, and—most importantly—beneficiaries. I dive deep into user psychology, ensuring an elderly visitor has intuitive navigation, a patient in crisis meets a calming color palette, or a panicked user finds critical resources instantly. Today, I combine my technical corporate roots with deep empathy to help nonprofits and small businesses build lasting community trust.
I design with empathy and technical intent, to communicate across complex audiences and build lasting community trust.
— Katherine Ives, BMW Creative